The latest landslip on the Old Beer Road. Photo by Terry Ife. Ref shb 1638-07-14TI

An 88-year-old man was lucky to survive after plunging down cliffs during a landslide in Old Beer Road, at Seaton, yesterday (Monday).

Coastguards received a 999 call from a member of the public reporting the incident at around 4.30pm.

The recue unit from Beer were immediately dispatched and Portland Coastguard helicopter Rescue-106 was scrambled. On-scene it was found that the elderly man was stuck some two to three metres down from the cliff edge on a notoriously unstable section.

The team were able to safely extricate the man and haul him to safety, where he was passed to the care of South Western Ambulance paramedics who confirmed that he did not require further medical treatment. All units then returned to base.

A coastguard spokesman later said the victim had been looking out to sea on the land beside Old Beer Road, when the whole section dropped three metres.

He said: “He was incredibly lucky the landslide stopped when it did. A member of the public managed to throw him a rope and made him secure before we got on scene, we then recovered him with the help of a ladder and rope rescue equipment.

“He was checked over by a paramedic and taken home, a little shaken but with no injuries. The police have know placed fencing at the scene and also on the Chine and at Seaton Hole to try and prevent members of the public walking on the beach below the landslip.

“We advise everybody to stay away from the area as it is obviously a very unstable area of cliff.”

As the Lacemen’s Colts licked their wounds from their recent defeat by a strong Barum outfit, they travelled to Okehampton for a must-win game and produced the goods in a 25-15 result, writes Paz Parratt